From the Heart
by Cassidy Alice
Summary: Percy had always been thoughtful and was generally good at giving presents, but this was by far the best present he'd ever given Annabeth.


_A/N: Trying my hand at more Percabeth...and killing two birds with one stone. ^^' This was written for a writing contest on a forum and a good friend requested some older Percabeth fluff, so this was written with the theme and the request in mind. Hope it's decent! Enjoy!_**  
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_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_

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**From the Heart**

Annabeth wasn't in the habit of waiting impatiently for a call. In fact, she couldn't ever recall a time when she'd waited for one. Usually, there wasn't any need to wait; Iris messages usually had a way of finding demigods so long as there was mist on the sender's side. Annabeth hadn't ever waited for an Iris message before, but this time was different. Percy had promised he'd call her as soon as he got some free time at Camp. Under normal circumstances, Annabeth would've been at Camp Half-Blood until the academic year began, but her father had convinced her to spend a week in San Francisco with her family. Annabeth was hesitant to leave since she'd be missing Percy's birthday and their anniversary, but he'd convinced her to go and so she'd reluctantly packed her belongings and gone. Her trip wasn't as dull as she imagined it would be, but she was eager to return to Camp nonetheless. The only thing that made it bearable was Percy's IMs and his surprise for her. He'd mentioned something about mailing her anniversary present out to her, but Annabeth had yet to receive it. She didn't care that it was three days late or that he hadn't given it to her in person. She was just eager to see it and talk to Percy.

Unfortunately, Percy seemed to be running late (which wasn't much of a surprise) so Annabeth sat on her bed, skimming an old architecture book of hers. It was something she'd read plenty of times before, but she found it as interesting as it had been on the first read. She managed to get through half the book before she heard the front door to the house open and close.

"Annabeth," her father called from below. "Package for you."

Grinning and shutting the book, the daughter of Athena hurried down and snatched the small parcel from its place on the table, calling her thanks as she bolted back up to her room.

When she got to her room, Percy's face shimmered into existence and Annabeth smiled.

"Just in time, Seaweed Brain," she said, holding up the package for her boyfriend to see.

"You got it," he exclaimed, grinning widely. "Hope you like it."

Annabeth undid the bindings and stared in shock as a small box fell out. Despite how nervous he was feeling, Percy couldn't help chuckling at Annabeth's wide eyes. He watched in apprehension as she undid more wrappings and pulled out a second box.

"Really, Seaweed Brain?" She demanded, playfully glaring at him. "I thought I made it clear I hated these types of things."

Percy laughed. "You did. I just didn't pay attention to you."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and pulled out an even smaller box. This one, thankfully, had no wrappings on it. It was evident by its size it was some sort of jewelry box, but nothing could've prepared her for what she saw when she opened it.

Nestled against a soft, velvety cushion was a small owl-shaped ring, studded with something that looked suspiciously like diamonds. Annabeth almost hoped it wasn't; she hoped Percy didn't spend a lot of money for her.

"Do you like it?" Percy asked, cautiously.

"Do I like it?" She echoed dumbly, gazing at the ring. "Percy…"

"I didn't know what to get you," he explained hastily. "But, I saw it and thought you might like it "

"Are you... proposing to me, Seaweed Brain?"

"No!" He stammered. "I mean...I'd like to one day, but not now. I know demigods don't live very long sometimes and we're too young to make a commitment like this. I bought it because it reminded me of you and, well...I thought it'd be a nice gift. But I know how much having something permanent means to you, so, one day…if you'd like...it can be official."

Annabeth glanced down at the ring again.

Gods of Olympus, she thought in awe.

Percy took her silence to mean she didn't like it.

"You don't have to wear it if you don't want to," he said, hastily, running a hand through his unruly hair. "I could always get you another present for you or…"

"It's perfect, Percy," Annabeth replied, taking the small ring out and slipping it onto her finger. It fit perfectly. "I love it."

The son of Poseidon looked relieved. "Thank gods! I was worried you might hate it."

Annabeth glanced at her boyfriend and then back at the ring on her hand. It was a small one, studded with jewels and just her style: simple yet elegant.

"I couldn't hate it," She said, smiling. "This is cubic zirconia, right?"

"Cubic what?" Percy demanded.

"Zirconia," Annabeth repeated, hoping it was. She wasn't so sure she could ever repay her boyfriend if it was real diamonds or some other precious jewel.

Percy stared at her blankly from the other side of the Iris message. "Um…no? I have no idea what cubic whatever-it's-called is."

Annabeth noted he didn't sound so sure. She chuckled and gazed at the ring again. It didn't really matter if it was diamond or zirconia; she loved it either way.

"Thank you," she said, again. "It must've cost a fortune."

Percy mumbled some vague response and blushed.

Annabeth wanted to talk more, but she heard shouts coming from Percy's end. The son of Poseidon scowled and looked over his shoulder and heaved a sigh.

"I'd better go," he said, reluctantly. "Mrs. O'Leary is in the arena again, using a dummy as a chew toy, and the Ares cabin looks pretty peeved."

Annabeth laughed. "Have fun, Seaweed Brain."

"It's not nearly as fun here without you," he replied, easily. "Miss you."

"I miss you too. But I'll be back in four days."

"It's still four days too long, in my opinion," He laughed. "But, I hope you enjoy it."

Annabeth nodded. She heard a faint exclamation from one of the Ares campers outside.

"Jackson, if you don't call off your dog, I swear to gods, I'll…"

The voice was drowned out by some uncharacteristic squealing and Annabeth laughed, picturing a camper covered in dog slobber from Mrs. O'Leary.

Percy groaned. "I have to go. Talk to you soon." He promised, waving and hurrying off. Annabeth laughed softly, watching him go before the Iris message dissipated.

For a while after the call, Annabeth didn't know what to do. She tried reading again, but her mind wandered to other things and she kept glancing at the ring on her finger, wondering what her family and friends would think. She already had a good idea what the Aphrodite cabin would do if they ever saw it and she imagined Athena would like to vaporize Percy if she could when she caught wind of the news. She wasn't in the mood to have her boyfriend become a smoldering pile of demigod ashes, but she trusted that her mother loved her enough to let her be happy…even if it was with "sea-spawn" as she'd so pleasantly put it. Thinking about Percy made her miss him even more and so Annabeth closed her book and wandered off to help her stepmother to distract herself.

Admittedly, it wasn't easy keeping her mind off of Percy when the ring on her finger was a constant reminder of him, but Annabeth was sufficiently occupied with helping her stepmother prepare dinner that the thought of being across the country didn't bother her so much. They chatted pleasantly while they worked and Annabeth focused on cutting vegetables and tossing them in assorted pots and pans instead of thinking about her boyfriend. Her stepmother kept looking at her as if something was strange, but Annabeth shoved that thought aside and focused on her slicing. It was only when she'd nearly finished that her stepmother gave an exclamation and hurried out, calling for her father. Frederick Chase came rushing into the kitchen, glancing wildly about before looking at Annabeth, who was slicing the last of the peppers.

"Annabeth Chase, what are you wearing?"

The daughter of Athena jumped, in spite of expecting her father.

"Gods, Dad, no need to yell. I nearly sliced off my finger," she said.

"What are you wearing?" He demanded.

Annabeth looked down at her outfit and then back up at her father. It wasn't anything she hadn't worn before: just denim shorts and her usual Camp Half-Blood t-shirt that she'd stole-_borrowed_ from Percy.

"My Camp t-shirt and shorts?" She replied.

"On your hand, young lady. What is that?" He demanded, glaring at the ring as if it was a menace.

"Oh, this," Annabeth said offhandedly. "It's…"

"Did Jackson propose to you?" Her father demanded, looking a bit flustered. Annabeth raised an eyebrow. Her father had never referred to Percy by his last name.

"Not exactly, no," was her reply. Her father blinked.

"Oh," He said.

"But, Percy did give it to me," She explained.

Frederick knit his eyebrows. "I don't understand. You're wearing an engagement ring but you're not engaged? Does the kid have that much money to throw around?"

Annabeth shook her head. "We're not engaged and it's not that type of ring." She explained, holding up her hand for him to see. He seemed to realize, belatedly, that the small ring was not what he'd thought it was initially and that it was on the wrong hand.

Her father looked relieved. "So no weddings yet?" He clarified.

"No."

Frederick sighed and made to go, but Annabeth's next comment floored him.

"Not yet, anyways."

"_What_?"

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Annabeth found the reaction at Camp wasn't much better. She noticed she was getting a lot of strange looks and people were staring at her as if they couldn't place what was different about her. Still, she didn't go out of her way to advertise her anniversary present. Besides, Percy had mentioned he hadn't told anyone about it except his mother and stepfather and Poseidon. If the others hadn't caught wind of it yet, Annabeth certainly wasn't going to tell them.

In theory, that should have worked and no one really should've caught on to Annabeth's secret, but she hadn't even thought about how perceptive some of her friends could be. It wasn't as if they were stupid or anything, but Annabeth just didn't expect people to be paying attention to what she wore on her hand. It was just her luck that a certain daughter of Aphrodite managed to find out the truth, however, though no fault of her own. Annabeth had been on her way back to her cabin with her nose buried in a book and a muffin in hand, when Piper seemed to materialize out of nowhere, nearly scaring her out of her wits.

"If you hadn't been so engrossed in your architecture book, I wouldn't have startled you," Piper reasoned, plucking the muffin out of her friend's hand and taking a bite. Even after all this time, the two continued to steal each other's food. Annabeth would've been mad if it had been anyone else (except maybe Percy) but she and Piper were close friends and Piper was one of the nicest campers…and probably the sanest out of all the Aphrodite campers.

"I wouldn't have been scared if you hadn't been sneaking around anyway," Annabeth retorted, laughing.

"I wasn't sneaking," Piper said. "I was…" She stopped short when her gaze fell on Annabeth's hand and gasped. "Holy Hera, what are you wearing? Is that an engagement ri-?"

Piper was cut off as Annabeth clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Be quiet," the daughter of Athena hissed. "I don't want the whole camp to hear."

"Is that really…are you and Percy…did he…?"

"Not really. I mean, he mentioned that he wanted to at some point in the future, but, nothing's official. "

Piper gaped. "Gods of Olympus. I never thought…"

"Careful how you finish that sentence, McLean," Annabeth teased.

Piper laughed and completely ignored her. "I never thought you'd be caught dead wearing something like that in camp."

Annabeth frowned. "Why not?"

Piper shrugged. "It's not exactly inconspicuous. People are bound to notice it sooner or later, even if it's small and on your other hand."

"Whatever. It's not official."

"Oh, please," Piper scoffed. "It's good enough for the rest of the camp."

"If the Aphrodite cabin gets wind of this, I swear to gods I'll hunt you down," Annabeth said, laughing. "Promise me they won't?"

"Eh, I'll do my best," Piper responded, smiling. "But, if the others hear of this, don't blame me. It's not every day you see Annabeth Chase with jewelry on."

"Oh, please. I've worn jewelry before."

"I know. The rest of my cabin has had lengthy discussions on it," Piper mentioned, chuckling. "They've grown tired of your owls."

Annabeth just laughed.

Admittedly, Annabeth's plan didn't work. Piper was as good as her word and didn't tell a soul, but Annabeth's secret was revealed shortly after sword fighting practice that afternoon. She and Piper had been helping Clarisse, who had been instructing some younger campers on the basics of swordplay, and Annabeth had been marveling how no one had noticed the ring on her finger as she tidied up and made to leave. The thought had just crossed her mind when Clarisse had stopped her.

"Hold it right there, Chase."

Annabeth bit back a groan and turned to face the daughter of Ares who had a curious look on her face. Behind her, Piper was stifling her laughter and trying to make a quick getaway, but Clarisse was aware of it.

"Not so fast, McLean," She barked. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Piper wondered, innocently.

"Don't play dumb. You two have been giving each other looks all session long."

Piper blinked. "We have?"

Clarisse scowled. "Oh, come on! It was totally obvious. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Annabeth replied, dismissively.

"What are you two hiding?"

"Honestly, Clarisse, I have no idea what you're talking about." Annabeth said, slipping her dagger back in its sheath and turning to go. Clarisse grumbled something under her breath before she caught sight of the small ring on Annabeth's finger.

"What is that?" Clarisse demanded, pointing to the small band on her ring finger.

"Nothing," the daughter of Athena said, glaring at her and trying to hide her hand.

Clarisse let out a whistle. "Didn't know Prissy had it in him."

Annabeth continued to glare at her. "It's…"

"I know what it is," Clarisse said, smirking. "Nice catch, Chase."

Annabeth groaned, ignoring Clarisse's laughter, and stalked off to her cabin.

That was where Percy found her, several hours later. Annabeth was seated on her bed, surrounded by papers and books and hurriedly scribbling something in a notebook. Percy had never understood how anyone could bury themselves in work and enjoy it the way Annabeth did, but he supposed it was a trait most Athena children possessed. Still, it made dating an Athena girl hard when she was so engrossed in her work and wouldn't leave it alone until she was finished. Thankfully, Annabeth wasn't in one of those moods today. She seemed pleased enough to see Percy and they chatted pleasantly for a few minutes before heading off to the dining pavilion for their evening meal. The two got quite a lot of stares and Annabeth couldn't help feeling self-conscious.

"I really wish everyone would stop staring at me," she muttered. "You'd think they've never seen a ring before."

"Well, some demigods don't even get to live long enough to think of buying their girlfriend a ring," Percy pointed out. His tone sounded sad and Annabeth wondered if he was thinking of anyone in particular. "They're probably just surprised I managed to live long enough to give you one and that you're wearing it."

"I guess. But everyone's jumping to conclusions, so next time, you shouldn't get me something so extraordinary." Annabeth said, grinning.

"Let them jump to conclusions," Percy replied, shrugging. "Their conclusions won't be wrong after a couple of years, hopefully."

"A couple of years is a long time for demigods. A lot could go wrong, Seaweed Brain."

"True," he acquiesced. But he smiled and took her hand. "But, a lot could go right too."

Annabeth just smiled and held his hand tighter. It seemed silly to think that wearing a ring was so out of the ordinary for her that people actually stopped and stared. Annabeth herself spent a lot of time gazing at it and, when she did, she couldn't help smiling. It seemed hard to believe that the small band around her finger represented so much. Percy had always been thoughtful and was generally good at giving presents, but this was by far the best present he'd ever given her. And, later that night, as Annabeth drifted off to sleep, she couldn't help but think how perfectly lovely Annabeth Jackson sounded.

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_Thanks for reading and for any and all support! _

_~ Cassie_


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